Nail for unevenly-worn horseshoes.



No. 644,963. Patented Mar; 6, I900.

' w. J. BECK.

NAIL FOB UNEVENLY WORN HORSESl-IOES.

(Application filed. July 20, 1899.)

(No .Mndel.)

rrn arts which.

NAIL. FOR UNEVENLY-WORN HORSESHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 644,963, dated March 6, 1900.

7 Application filed July 20, 1899. $erial N0. 724,551. (No model.)

To aZZ 1071,0111, zit may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J AMES BECK, farrier, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of 3 Johnston street, Fitzroy, in the Colony of Victoria,have invented a certain new and useful Improved Nail for UnevenlyWVorn Horseshoes,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in horseshoe-nails, and has for its object to provide a nail which can be easily applied to the worn face of a horseshoe,and thereby lengthen considerably the life of the shoe.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective of the shoe, the thin or worn part having a nail through one of the holes. Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the shoe looking at it from the underneath face, the worn part being thickened up by the nailheads. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the nail, showing the sunken portion in the nailhead. Fig. 45 is a plan'view of the nail looking at its head or wearingsurface.

A is a horseshoe which, as shown at B, Fig. 1, is worn thin, almost to the breaking-point. Into the holes 0 of the shoe are placed nails the shanks D of which are of the ordinary character. On the shank D is formed an enlarged head E, which may be either rectangular, square, or of any other external conformation. The thickness of each head depends upon the amount of wear of the shoe, and it may be either parallel, as shown, or it may be tapered to suit the angle of wear. In some instances the nail-heads may abut against each other, while in others there may be a space left between them.

The wearing-face of the head of the nail is provided with a sunken center F, which not only lightens the nail, but also makes it more ready to bed to the worn face of the shoe when the nail is driven through the shoe. The depth and contour of the sunken center may vary with conditions. The wearing-face of the nail-head is also provided with grooves or serrations G, thereby affording a better foothold for the quadruped upon the roadsurface.

My improved nails when applied'to un evenly-worn horseshoes will make up for the worn part and lengthen the life of the shoe considerably. All horseshoes wear unevenly,

and when so worn, though thick and unworn in many places, the whole shoe has to be removed on account of a part which has worn thin; but with my invention the thin part is made up level with or thicker than the thick part by the enlarged nail-heads, which have a thickness as great if not greater than the worn-off part of the shoe. By their use a shoe which would otherwise have to be removed when worn can be retained and the expense of a new shoe thereby avoided. In addition to which a bettergrip or adherence to the surface of the road is obtained by a horses foot so shod.

With some horses the shoes begin to wear seriously in about three weeks, more or less, and although worn out in only one part the whole of the shoe under present circumstances has to be removed; but with my invention only a few nails have to be withdrawn, and when substituted by my improved nails-the work of a few minutes only-the horse is again ready for light or heavy draft. The underneath faces of the heads very soon bed flatly against the worn face of the shoe, owing to the sunken center F, if they have not already done so upon driving the nail home.

It is obvious that modifications can be made in theconstruction of my improved nail without departing from the spirit of my inventionas, for instance, instead of having the nail-head integral with the shank it could be formed of a separate piece having a tapering hole in its center to conform with-the shape of the shank, so that when the shank is driven through the head it will fasten it firmly against the worn face of the shoe, the tapering hole also serving in place of the sunken centerbefore mentioned.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An improved nail for unevenly-worn horseshoes comprising a shank, and an enlarged head formed'on said shank provided with a sunken center, substantially as described.

2. An improved nail for unevenly-worn horseshoes comprising a shank with an enlarged head, said enlarged head having a grooved wearing-face and a sunken center, substantially as described.

An improved nail for unevenly- Worn In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my horseshoes having a shank with an integral hand in presence of two Witnesses. head of enlarged area and with a grooved Wearing-face protruding above the Worn face WILLIAM JAMES BECK 5 of the shoe which head has a sunken center \Vitnesses:

all as and for the purposes hereinbefore de- EDWIN PHILLIPS, scribed and as illustrated in the drawings. CECIL W. LE PLASTRIER. 

